So today I went down a rabbit hole trying to figure out this guy Calvin Coker’s pitching job. Seriously.
Where I Started
Someone asked me “What’s Calvin Coker’s pitching role?” and I was like, “Sure, quick Google.” Boy, was I wrong. Typed his name and “pitching position” into the search bar.
- Instant Confusion: Baseball Reference says he pitched for Auburn Tigers back in college. Cool, starter maybe? Reliever?
- Stat Page Scramble: Hopped onto his college stats page. Saw innings pitched, games pitched… but no clear “this is his role” label anywhere. Like looking for a needle in a haystack.
- Deep Dive Fail: Clicked random Auburn forums from 2017-2018 seasons. Found fans arguing whether he was more “setup guy” or just “middle relief.” No straight answer!
Getting Frustrated
Gave up and just watched old highlight clips on YouTube. Saw him pitch in a few games.
- Observation: Came in mostly late? Sometimes 7th inning, sometimes with runners on base.
- Pattern Guess: Never saw him start a game. Mostly after the 5th or 6th. Didn’t look like a closer either. Announcers kept calling him a “bullpen arm.”
Thought I cracked it: probably a reliever handling messy situations. Maybe setup if the main guys were gassed? But the footage was patchy. Couldn’t track his exact spot over a whole season.
My Dumb Conclusion
Honestly? Feels like teams toss pitchers into spots where they fit at that moment. Calvin Coker wasn’t some All-Star closer with one job. From what I pieced together:
- Role: Relief pitcher
- Specialty: Maybe fireman stuff? Putting out other pitchers’ fires?
- Reality: Probably did whatever the coach yelled at him to do that day.
Kinda like my buddy Dave’s garage project last week. His drill broke halfway through mounting shelves. Suddenly his “role” changed from carpenter to electrician trying to fix the extension cord. Total chaos.
Baseball roles sometimes look neat on paper, but under the hood? It’s duct tape and sweat. Calvin Coker pitched where they told him to. Doesn’t fit a shiny label. Just threw baseballs and hoped nobody hit them hard.
Wasted an hour on this. Moral of the story? Sometimes the stats don’t tell the story. Sometimes guys just pitch. Now go drink some water.
